Food and me

Growing up, I didn't eat all my food groups.  I didn't eat anything that was good for me.  (No wonder I always remember wearing jeans in a double digit size).  My staple food in college was chicken fingers from all the best restaurant chains that the south has to offer.  Man they were good but only eating those aren't helpful to my waistline.

Enter Joel.  He has introduced me to so many new foods and really opened up my mind to food and creating the best dishes.  Now, I hated broccoli growing up.  Both my sisters loved it and I wouldn't touch it.  Now I can't put it down.  I love it.  Raw in salads or steamed with some lemon pepper seasoning.

We've been visiting the local farmer's market and my hopes are that I will pick up new foods and be able to create a dish the same day or within that week.

One of my more recent meals:

cauliflower soup, fried zucchini flowers and yummy grilled steak

Now along the lines of broccoli, is cauliflower.  I haven't really had it in the past and didn't like the texture of it while raw on my salads.  So while walking the farmer's market, I knew I had to overcome this and make something.  Cauliflower soup.  Add in some carrots after boiling and some parsley with green onion and you have yourself a yummy soup.  It took a little while to get used to it but I did enjoy making it and liking cauliflower.
I've never had zucchini flowers.  And they were so good.  We used our own crushed red pepper in the batter for them.  More on our crushed red pepper soon.  And they weren't too fried and were great tasting.

Here's the recipe that I used:

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups water
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 large carrot, cubed
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook garlic in butter 30 seconds, then stir in nutmeg, pepper and salt and cook 30 seconds more. Pour in the water and introduce the cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook carrot with water to cover until just tender. Drain and reserve.
3. Puree cauliflower soup in a blender or food processor or with an immersion blender. Stir in reserved carrots, green onion and parsley. Serve.

I found this recipe here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/smooth-cauliflower-soup/detail.aspx

Boiling the cauliflower

Carrots and Celery

Batter for the flowers, with our own crushed red pepper

Frying the flowers

Fresh parsley and green onions

Yum! Steak right off the grill

I did try to blend it in my brand new food processor and as I was ready to hit blend, it started leaking and lost a lot of water.  Luckily we caught it quickly enough and had a blender on standby.  I'm just a clutz and realized we filled it past the liquid line.  Cook and learn.  The next time we used it-for cauliflower rice I noticed the line and won't make that mistake again.